Avicennism is a school in Islamic Philosophy which is established by Avicenna. According to Henry Corbin and Seyyed Hossein Nasr there are two kind of Avicennism: Islamic or Iranian Avicennism, and Latin Avicennism. [1][2] According to Nasr, the Latin Avicennism was based on the former philosophical works of Avicenna. This school followed the Peripatetic school of philosophy and tried to describe the structure of reality with a rational system of thinking. In the twelfth century AD, It became influential in Europe, particularly in Oxford and Paris and affected some notable philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas, Roger Bacon and Dons Scotus. While the Latin Avicennism was weak in comparison with Latin Averroism, according to Étienne Gilson there was a "Avicennising Augustinism". On the other hand, Islamic Avicennism is based on his later works which is known as "The oriental philosophy" (حکمت المشرقیین). Therefore, philosophy in the eastern Islamic civilization providing became close to Gnosis and tried to provide a vision of spiritual universe. This approach paved the road for the Iranian school of Illuminationism (حکمت الاشراق) by Suhrawardi.[3]
Henry Corbin referred to divergent between Iranian Avicennism and latin Avicennism.[4] beside he shown that we can see three different schools in Avicennism. he call them as Avicennism Augustinism, latin Avicennism and Iranian Avicennism.[5] it seems that before henry Corbin,Some orientalists had some views about Avicennism.
orientalists have challenges on the current of Avicennism.At the same time there are many confusions among scholars particularly orientalists and orientalism about the book of "al Hikmat al Mashreqi".It seems that investigation on Hikmah Al Mashreqi initiated by Edward Pococke. He also was the translator of Hayy ibn Yaqdhan from Arabic to latina. He says that it is very difficult to clear what is intended by Avicenna in Hikmat Al Mashreqyyah. Apparently Avicenna said something about eastern philosophy or Indian philosophy versus peripatetic's teaching.After Edward Pococke, other translators also translated mashreqiyyah as mashreqi or eastern.Another orientalist and churchman, Edward Bouverie Pusey believed that the hikmah Al mashreqiyyah is identical with Illumination wisdom(hikmah al Ishraq) in introduction of ibn Tufayl's Hayy ibn Yaqdhan in 1835.Hereinafter Monk believed that hekmat Al Mashreqi as the theory of unity of existence. Also Baron karadovo also translated Hikmat al Mashreqi as Ishraqi hikmah and at the same time has believed that this is false to know mashreqi as Sharqi just as some pupils of Avicenna thought in this way.according to Baron Karadovo these pupils distorted the thought of Avicenna into Kaldanian paganism and or Indian mysticism.Eventually he had known the book of hekmat Al mashreqi as a book in Ishraqi School. He also explained that Avicenna had a hidden and esoteric tend into Ishraqi hikmah. Germanian scholar, Max Horten believes that Avicenna's opinions in Hikmah Al Mashreqi is myth and said that what was important for Avicenna is a kind of mystical knowledge which is introduced in articulation of Aristotelian philosophy.
